Ship-salvaging



C. O. KNUDSEN.

' v SHIP SALVAGING. APPLICATION FILED APR-Z1. I919.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR C Q fizz/(1967a ATTORNE S C. O. KNUDSEN.

SHIP SALVAGING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2I. 1919.

Patented Jan. 20,1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR Caz zzzasezz BY mqv c. 0; KNUDSEN. SHIP SALVAGING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21,19l9.

1 28,434, Patented J an. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR VQdq ATTORNEYS 1il lITl lD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES 0. KNUDSEN, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SHIP-SALVAGING.

Application filed April .21, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLns O. KNUDsEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Brooklyn, New York, have invented a new and useful Ship-Salvaging, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the raising of sunken Wrecks and aims to provide suitable apparatus for the salvaging of sunken ships which may lie at a relatively great depth.

Briefly the invention contemplates the lifting of the wreck to a point where a pontoon-supported cradle may be engaged beneath the same and the directing of the rescue from within a submarine which is provided with means for exploring the wreck and which is in communication with one of the surface vessels. This enables the salvage work to be carried on efiectively and with a knowledge at all times of just how the work is proceeding and enables the instant adjustment of parts to meet conditions as they arise.

Various other features of the invention, details of construction, etc., will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the practice of the invention, and inasmuch as such showing is primarily for the purpose of disclosure it will be un derstood that changes and modifications may be made to suit different requirements without departure from the invention as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings referred to Figure 1, is a more or less diagrammatic view of the complete apparatus illustrating the salvaging vessel assisted by the submarine at work on the wreck.

Fig. 2, is a progressive view showing the wreck hoisted off the bottom and about to be entered in the cradle carried by the pontoons.

Fig. 3, is a plan view illustrating the wreck cradled between the pontoons.

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan and broken sectional views respectively of the submarine wrecking vessel.

The numeral 7 designates the salvaging vessel, 8 the submarine which constitutes the means for directing the work for the salvaging vessel, and 9 the sunken ship or so-called wreck.

In practice, the submarine is a solidly Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 291,493.

built and well sealed vessel which can descend to relatively great depths and may be provided with self-propelling means, or not, according to circumstances. In the present disclosure it is shown provided with propelling screws 10. The submarine, for the purpose of directing the work, is in communication with the salvaging vessel as by means of the telephone cable 11. This cable may also have combined with it a cable for the transmission of electrical ene gy to the lights, propelling motors and pump motors and other adjuncts within the submarine.

The submarine is shown suspended from the salvaging vessel as by means of one or more cables 12 connected with a suitable winch or winches on the surface vessel to enable the raising and lowering of the submarine.

Suitable wreck-exploring means are carried by the submarine such as lights indicated at 13 which are sufliciently strong to illuminate objects at a considerable distance.

The submarine is also provided with devices for locating itself over the wreck, the same being shown in the form of powerful magnets 14 suspended from cables 15.

The salvaging vessel is equipped with wreck-engaging devices shown in the form of fore and aft slings 16 and 17, and grapples 18 carried by hoisting lines 19, these various lines being connected to suitable winches or hoisting engines on the salvaging vessel and being carried by suitable guides over the sides of the vessel or through wells or hawse holes provided in the vessel.

The submarine is preferably equipped at its fore and aft ends with guides in the nature of Outriggers for directing and guiding the lines from the salvaging vessel. These guides are indicated at 20 and 21. Certain, or all of these guides, may be provided with means for gripping the cables or chains passing therethrough. Thus I have indicated the forward guides as provided with a screw-shaft 22 operable from the interior of the submarine for shifting the clamping members 23 which cooperate with the walls of the guides to grip the cables or chains. These guides are furthermore shown as open to the outside so as to permit the lines to be disengaged therefrom and means are shown provided for positively effecting said disengagement in the shape of the hinged gates 2a which may be swung downward to force the lines out of the guides. v

The pontoon vessels are indicated at 25 and 26. These, as well as the salvaging vessel may be power vessels or not, as deemed expedient. The pontoon vessels are provided with suitable ship-cradling means, such as the fore and aft slings 27 and 28 and the intermediate cradle :29, these devices being adjustably swung between the two vessels and raised and lowered as by means of suitable winches. These pontoons are furthermore preferably equipped with means for holding them in properly spaced relations, such as the masts 30 which are pivotally supported at 31 so that they may be swung across between the pontoons to hold them properly spaced.

In operation after location of the wreck, the submarine is lowered from the salvaging vessel and the wreck and surrounding conditions explored as by means of the search lights described. The submarine is located over the wreck as by means of the magnets which may be manipulated wholly from the salvaging vessel under instructions from the submarine. Any wreckage or rigging which may stand in the way of the rescue may be removed as by means of the grapples. Sand pumps within the submarine vessel and provided with external piping 32 may be operated if necessary to provide a clear space beneath the ends of the wreck and the submarine is then manipulated to guide the slings beneath the wreck, the various lines being manipulated as necessary under the direction of the submarine which is in a position to observe operations as they are be ing carried forward. After the salvaging vessel has gained a proper hold upon the sunken ship by means of the slings and possibly also the grapples and magnets, the connections are adjusted to raise the wreck off the bottom. The actual raising may be accomplished by utilizing the flood of the tide as has been done heretofore.

When the wreck is clear of the bottom, the pontoons and salvaging vessel are relatively maneuvered so as to carry the wreck within the cradle supported by the pontoons. The pontoon vessels for this purpose may be held in separated relation by quarter anchors such as indicated at 3% in which event the salvaging vessel will be the one which is maneuvered into position between the pontoons. The submarine may remain in place over the wreck during such maneuvering, being raised or lowered to suit the occasion and acting during such process to observe the operations and direct the work. When the wreck is finallv in position between the pontoons, the cradle and slings are hoisted until the wreck is sezurely supported therein, whereupon the salvaging vessel may either pass her lines to the pontoons or else keep or drop the same and proceed with the submarine to other wrecking work. If desirable the salvaging vessel may remain in position between the pontoon vessels and lend its aid to the transporting of the wreck to shoal water or dry deck, the submarine in such case serving for directing the movements of the combined vessels.

The pontoon vessels during the convoy of the wreck may beheld in ordinary spaced relation by means of the dropped masts described. These vessels, with their hoisting devices, are preferably made capable of lifting the wreck, either to the surface or to a position where the same can be easily reached by divers and patched sufficiently for the same to be pumped and floated.

In case the salvaging work is interrupted by storms or rough weather after the slings have been engaged about the wreck, a stop chain such as indicated at 33 may be dropped down over the sides of the sling to secure the same firmly to the wreck and the lines then be buoyed so as to be accessible again as soon as weather conditions permit further operations.

I claim:--

1. In ship salvaging apparatus, the combination with a salvaging vessel provided with wreck-lifting slings, of a submarine in communication with said salvaging vessel and provided with means engaging said slings for assisting in the placing of said slings about the submerged wreck.

2. In ship salvaging apparatus, the combination with a salvaging vessel provided with hoisting lines, of a submarine in communication with said salvaging vessel and provided with means engaging said lines for guiding said hoisting lines about a sunken wreck.

8. In ship salvaging apparatus, the combination with a salvaging vessel provided with hoisting lines, of a submarine in communication with said salvaging vessel and provided with means for guiding said hoisting lines about a sunken wreck and means carried by the submarine for grippin said hoisting lines.

1. In ship salvaging apparatus, a salvaging vessel provided with wreck-engaging de vices, a submarine in communication with said vessel, a sand pump carried by said submarine for clearing away about the wreck and means carried by said submarine and detachably connected to said wreck lifting devices for assisting the engagement of the wreck-lifting devices with the wreck.

5. In ship salvaging apparatus, a salvaging vessel provided with hoisting lines, a submarine in communication with said vessel and provided at its opposite ends with guides for said hoisting lines, one of said guides being adapted to grip a line.

6. In ship salvaging apparatus, a salvaging vessel provided with hoisting lines, a submarine in communication with said vessel and provided at its opposite ends with guides for said hoisting lines and means for clearing the lines from said guides.

7. In ship salvaging apparatus, a salvaging vessel provided with hoisting lines, a submarine in communication with said vessel and provided with guides for said hoisting lines and means operable from within the submarine for gripping the lines extending through said guides.

8. In ship salvaging apparatus, the combination with a salvaging vessel provided with wreck-lifting slings, of a submarine vessel suspended from said salvaging vessel and in communication therewith, said submarine vessel being provided with guiding 20 means for the slings and with means of propulsion independent of the salvaging vessel whereby said submarine vessel may be manipulated to place the slings from the salvaging vessel in operative engagement with a submerged wreck.

9. In ship salvaging apparatus, the combination with a salvaging vessel provided with wreck engaging devices adapted to be placed about a part of a wreck, a submerged vessel in communication with the salvaging vessel and provided with means for engaging said wreck engaging devices to assist in the engagement oi the wreck engaging devices with the wreck, said submerged vessel having means of propulsion independent of a the salvaging vessel to enable the accurate placlng of the wreck engaging devices from the salvaglng vessel.

CHARLES O. KNUDSEN. 

